Participatory Approach to Natural Hazard Education for Hydrological Risk Reduction
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Participatory Approach to Natural Hazard Education for Hydrological Risk Reduction Giovanna Lucia Piangiamore and Gemma Musacchio Abstract Modern Society needs interactive public discussion to provide an effective way of focusing on hydrological hazards and their consequences. Embracing a holistic Earth system Science approach, we experiment since 2004 different stimulating educational/communicative model which emotionally involves the participants to raise awareness on the social dimension of the disaster hydrogeological risk reduction, pointing out that human behavior is the crucial factor in the degree of vulnerability and the likelihood of disasters taking place. The implementation of strategies for risk mitigation must include educational aspects, as well as economical and societal ones. Education is the bridge between knowledge and understanding and the key to raise risk perception. Children’s involvement might trigger a chain reaction that reinforce and spread the culture of risk. No matter how heavy was the rain that hit our land in the past and recent seasons, we still are not prepared. If on one hand we need to fight against worsening Global Warming that trigger extreme meteorological events, we should also work on sustainable land use and promote landscape preservation. Since science can work on improving knowledge of phenomena, technology can provide modern tool to reduce the impact of disasters, children and adults education is the flywheel to provide the change. We present here two cases selected among the wide range of educational activities that we have tested and to which more than 2,000 students and adults have participated within a period of 12 years. They include learn-by-playing, hands-on, emotional-learning activities, open questions seminars, learning paths, curiosity-driven approaches, special venues and science outreach. Keywords Natural hazard Á Hydrogeological risk Á Prevention Á Territory Á Participatory approach Á Awareness raising Á Resilience Introduction G.L. Piangiamore (&) Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, The public understanding of science has a strong impact on — Sez. Roma 2 Sede di Portovenere, via Pezzino Basso, 2, the social debate upon natural hazards, environment, 19025 Fezzano di Portovenere (SP), Italy e-mail: [email protected] resources and sustainability. However although Eurobarom- eter 2011 data reveals that 75% of EU citizens are positive G. Musacchio Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Amministrazione about science, since 2005 the share of Europeans experi- Centrale, via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Rome, Italy encing trust in science has declined from 78 to 66%. The e-mail: [email protected] © The Author(s) 2017 555 K. Sassa et al. (eds.), Advancing Culture of Living with Landslides, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-59469-9_50 556 G.L. Piangiamore and G. Musacchio largest decline in trust has taken place in Germany, Italy and Terraces, traditionally sustained by dry stonewalls, Poland. occupy about thirty percent of the territory of Liguria. If The improvement of science understanding has on one constantly maintained, they effectively contribute to slow end supported citizens towards independent opinions and down the natural slope erosion. When no longer managed, participation to crucial decisions; on the other end it seems to terraces may increase geomorphological risk along the build skepticism towards the institutional settings where slopes and, consequently, at the bottom of the valley knowledge generation takes place. Due to the complexity, (Brandolini et al. 2012). and yet the uncertainty, of the nowadays process of building Bad weather such as flash rain worsen the background up knowledge in science, new discoveries and claims can be hazard causing severe damages and devastation across Italy contested, leave ample room for different interpretations, and and weight over the economy of a country that has to faces a implant suspicion in non-experts. large variety of disasters. Italy faces emergency but efforts Good communication is certainly a necessary condition on prevention are not enough to deal with the problem. for improving trustworthiness, but engagement of citizens in Emergency often announced with “state of alert”, and results the process of building, spreading and responsible use of in schools closure to try minimize the number of people on science is thought to have a high potential for success the roads during heavy rain. In addition to damage to (European Commission 2013). infrastructure and housing, bad weather also affects agri- Public engagement with science strengthens citizenship culture. According to Coldiretti (Italy’s largest agricultural skills and empowerment; it increases awareness of the cul- association) heavy rain, overflown rivers and landslides will tural relevance of science, and recognition of the importance cost millions of euros to the agricultural sector due to land of multiple perspectives and domains of knowledge to sci- and crop damage. Farmland overflown with water, vegeta- entific endeavors (Annual Report AAAS 2015). bles production and plants cultivation located near rivers In this frame a participatory approach to Natural Hazard registered the worst images. education has a high value. Here we describe two cases The terraced landscape is very common in the Ligurian study that focuses on student engagement in hydrogeologic region, covering about of the 30% of the territory. Agri- risk reduction. We start from local memory of catastrophic cultural terraces are sustained by dry stonewalls and reduce events that occur in the Italian region involved in our pro- the slow down the natural slope erosion, but if no regularly gram, which is tested in Liguria. La Spezia and Genova maintained, can worst the risk of landslides and “detritus Provinces has been repeatedly affected by severely damag- flow”. ing floods throughout its history. The intervals between Since 1970 recurring floods affect Genoa where the floods are too often very short and people are afraid when Bisagno Stream catchment flows across the eastern part of heavy rain strikes. city center. The most recent and tragic was in October 2014 (Faccini et al. 2016). The 5 Terre peculiarity of little towns cling to sheer hills Land, Hazard and Risk along a narrow, rugged strip of land between the Maritime Alps, the Apennine Mountains and the Ligurian Sea is Mountains and hills correspond to the 77% of Italian land, results into a heavy geo-hydrological risk. The fragile land most of which has steep slopes or clay-based composition conditions turn into instability during unusual meteorologi- (Fig. 1). Recent mapping has shown for the northern part of cal conditions that causes heavy flooding. This happened in the country and in Emilia, Liguria and Tuscany regions a October 2011 when the river rushed violently down dislo- high level of hazard for flood and landslides. After World cating and destroying several towns, redefining the natural War II Italy underwent heavy urbanization without taking architecture of the affected the Vara and Magra Valleys near into account the areas with high level of hydrogeologic La Spezia (Piangiamore et al. 2015) (Figs. 2 and 3). hazards. Moreover population moved from mountains to cities and abandoned land. Materials and Methods Floods and landslides may strongly affect lives of many people. Emotional-learning activities can activate a life long learning process developing skills that might end up being fundamental for the own safety (Piangiamore et al. 2012). To engage students into an active learning path and a flipped-up learning strategy we have to listen them and Fig. 1 Land distribution in Italy exchange ideas and experiences. Participatory Approach to Natural Hazard Education … 557 Fig. 2 Landslides and floods hazard map (Trigila et al. 2015) 558 G.L. Piangiamore and G. Musacchio Fig. 3 Inhabitants exposed to medium floods hazard (D.Lgs. 49/2010) Participatory Approach to Natural Hazard Education … 559 More than lack of knowledge is a question of under- with the mentor and ends with a reflective learning approach standing their needs and interests. where concepts are reworked and restructured. We applied In approaching risk communication and learning, we test this interactive approach to natural hazards at school to different ways and methods from 2004 to nowadays. Here stimulate best practice for the good of all. Researchers and we describe two cases study we develop in the last four years teachers worked side by side designed Floods: what to do? in which students and experts have collaborated in preparing on hydrogeological hazard active learning to promote (1) a participated exhibition on the 2011 flood that severely knowledge and safety. hit the land of La Spezia and surrounding, and (2) a This is a way for education of the new generations flipped-up learning tool. intriguing students to arouse their interest towards environ- The participated exhibition is Piovono Idee! (Cloudy with mental problems, generally underestimated by formal edu- a Chance of ideas!) and it is the result of experts’ interaction cation (Muttarak and Lutz 2014). Floods: what to do? asks directly in school, focus groups and hands on activities. students to prepare a tool capable of effective communica- Students involved had experience the disaster and could put tion to their peers and to the public, involving them in three their emotion into their products. Exhibits of the interactive phase: (1) the preparation phase based on problem-solving; path tell us